A shocking video has surfaced showing an NYPD officer forcefully pushing a Knicks fan’s face into a pole during an arrest, following a victory celebration outside Madison Square Garden on a Friday night.
The footage reveals several officers, including a captain, working to handcuff the youthful-looking suspect amidst a rowdy crowd that loudly expressed their disapproval of the arrest, which occurred after the Knicks’ win in NBA Finals Game 2.
In the video, the suspect, with his hands restrained behind his back, appears not to resist when a Community Affairs officer suddenly grasps his neck and propels his face into a green pole.
The fan visibly recoils in pain as the crowd voices its discontent, as shown in the video, which was shared on Instagram by the user mrcheckpoint_.
Amidst the tumult, a bystander can be heard exclaiming, “What the f–k! Yo, what the f–k!” while several others capture the intense scene on their phones.
The circumstances leading up to and following the 17-second clip remain unclear, yet the video has quickly amassed nearly 900,000 views.
The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment.
The apparent arrest came after a nail-biter Knicks win over the San Antonio Spurs, with chaos erupting as thousands of revelers flooded the streets outside the iconic arena. Some fans were detained for blocking traffic and climbing light poles.
One fan, Karley Reyes, allegedly punched a cop and bit another during the celebration.
A watch party for Monday’s Game 3 was nixed after strict security measures were announced for President Trump’s attendance.
